Inside insane $78 billion ‘sport city’ to host Olympics
The world has been given its first look into the super city under construction for the Olympics in a project the world’s never seen before.
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Egypt has grand plans to host the 2036 Olympics — and the country is already building a whole new city in order to make their dream a reality.
That’s despite them not even officially bidding for it yet, The Sun reports.
Work began on the new administrative capital in 2015 with the government pledging $78 billion to the ambitious project.
The desert city, still unnamed, is being constructed 30 miles west of Cairo and will be home to around 6.5 million people.
And it will be full of state-of-the-art sporting facilities.
The impressive complex features a 7,500-seater indoor arena which has been completed and was used for the 2021 Handball World Championships.
Meanwhile, work is well underway for a 90,000-seater, three-tier Olympic Stadium.
In fact, the flagship building was due to be completed this summer.
A Chinese construction firm are also developing a football stadium, an indoor hall for 15,000 fans, a 5,000-seater swimming pool and diving pool stadium.
There will also be space for 3,500 spectators at the tennis complex and a further 1,000 for the squash.
An equestrian complex is also in the works as well as spaces for shooting, ten five-a-side football pitches, volleyball, basketball, hockey, beach soccer and more.
On top of the sporting facilities, the new city plans to have a sports medicine hospital, hotels, open-air theatre, shopping centre, offices and playgrounds.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi makes regular visits to the 450-acre site to see the progress being made.
Egypt are aiming to become the first African country to host the Olympics.
Cape Town lost out to Athens in 2004 while Egyptian capital Cairo was pipped by Beijing four years later.
But sports minister Ashraf Sobhy is confident the new administrative capital can deliver a successful tournament.
And Said Sadek, who teaches at the American University in Cairo, told DW: “This is not just media advertising — there is a real will behind it.
“If Qatar was able to land the 2022 World Cup, then Egypt, with its long history and growing economy, shouldn’t be far off hosting international events like the Olympics either.”
Kamilla Swart, professor at Qatar’s Hamad bin Khalifa University, added: “I think the playing field (regarding an Olympic bid) has changed somewhat.
“African countries have had limited experience with bidding, but I think perhaps there’s more commitment to finally see that fifth ring fold by a city or country from Africa.”
However, Swart also highlighted the “challenge” of Egypt’s deteriorating human rights record under Al-Sisi as a potential roadblock in the country’s dream.
Egpyt are yet to submit their bid to host the 2036 Olympics formally just yet.
Nusantara in Indonesia, Turkish capital Istanbul and a multi-city bid from Mexico have been tabled to the IOC.
Countries including India, China, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Canada and Qatar are all said to be considering applying for the hosting rights, too.
Although should the latter win, the event could be moved to the winter due to the heat - just like the 2022 World Cup.
The 2024 Games will be staged in Paris before Los Angeles host in 2028 and Brisbane take on the 2032 event.
— This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk and has been republished with permission
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